Editing Numidia (section)

== Agriculture ==
The Numidian kingdom was very famous for its agricultural yield; besides [[lettuce]], [[Legume|beans]], and other [[Cereal|grains]] already consumed by Berbers since the dawn of their recorded history, Numidia was very productive when it came to its famously high-quality [[wheat]], very similar to the wheat farmed along the banks of the Egyptian [[Nile]]. According to Roman historian [[Pliny the elder]]:

{{blockquote|Among the wheat imports of Rome, is light wheat imported from Gallia which does not surpass the weight of a bushel (Boisseau) 20 livres. The weight of the wheat of Sardinia surpasses that of Gallia by half a livre, the wheat of Biossia surpasses that of Gallia by an entire livre, whereas the wheat of Africa surpasses the weight of wheat of Gallia by a whole livre and three fourths.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erdkamp |first1=Paul |title=The Grain Market in the Roman Empire: A Social, Political and Economic Study |date=3 November 2005 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-44768-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IIj9uvGtJFEC&dq=pliny+the+elder+wheat+imports+africa&pg=PA207 |language=en}}</ref>}}In 179 BC, King Masinissa of Numidia received a golden crown from the inhabitants of [[Delos]], as he had offered them a shipload of grain. A statue of Masinissa was erected in Delos in his honor, with an inscription by a native from [[Rhodes]]. His sons, too, had statues erected on the island of Delos; the King of Bithynia, Nicomedes, had also dedicated a statue to Masinissa.<ref name="Edward Lipiński">{{cite book |author=Edward Lipiński |title=Itineraria Phoenicia |publisher=Peeters Publishers |year=2004 |isbn=978-90-429-1344-8 |pages=168–169}}</ref> By 143 AD, the export of olive oil from Numidia rivaled its grain export throughout the Roman Empire.

In 200 BC, the Roman Army stationed in [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] received 17,508 hectoliters of Numidian wheat; in 198 BC, the Roman Army in Greece was sent, once again, the same amount of wheat. In 191 BC, Rome received 26,262 hectoliters of wheat and 21,885 hectoliters of [[barley]]; Greece, the same year, received 43,770 hectoliters of wheat and 26,262 hectoliters of barley. Then, in 171 BC, the Roman army in Macedonia received 87,540 hectoliters of wheat.

In total Rome received:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Livius |first=Titus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V6R0zQEACAAJ |title=Oeuvres de Tite-Live: Histoire romaine avec la traduction en français. Livres XXVII à XLV |date=1882 |publisher=Firmin-Didot |language=fr}}</ref>
* in 200 BC: 14,000 tonnes of wheat and 10,500 tonnes of barley.
* in 198 BC: 14,000 tonnes of wheat.
* in 191 BC: 56,000 tonnes of wheat and 28,900 tonnes of barley.
* in 170 BC: 70,000 tonnes of wheat.

These numbers only represent a fraction from the reserves of the kingdom of Massinissa. His contributions to the Romans in 170 BC appear to be only a fraction of the kingdom's total production, as he was upset by Rome's decision to pay for the provided wheat that year. Massinissa hadn't laid his hands yet on the fertile lands of the Emporia (North West [[Ancient Libya]]) nor the great plains full of fertile soil yet; generally, barley was his kingdom's main produce, as they grew barley in light, mountainous and hilly soil which is suitable for its cultivation.